


Finally Home

by Hexadecimalrebooted



Category: Naruto
Genre: Iruka is Naruto's dad. FIght me.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2019-05-18 01:38:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14843129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hexadecimalrebooted/pseuds/Hexadecimalrebooted
Summary: Naruto is back from his two years training with Jiraiya. Iruka has missed his kid.





	Finally Home

**Author's Note:**

> This is super self-indulgent. I should be editing The Hunter and The Wolf but, well, ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Iruka was awake and on his feet with a kunai in hand before he understood why. Every sense was tingling with alarm at the wrongness in his own home. A loud snort came from the spare bedroom followed by a umm-num-num. Iruka almost burst out laughing. Naruto was obviously dreaming about eating. Again. The adrenalin spike faded. Iruka stowed his kunai in its spot under his pillow. He debated crawling back into bed but decided he was too awake to get back to sleep.

It had been two years, so Iruka tried to cut himself some slack. It had been two years since someone had slept in his house other than himself. It had been two years since he had listened to someone else sleep. And two years since he had made anything but a breakfast for one. 

Iruka smiled and slipped a shirt over his head. He went through his morning ablutions before putting his hair up to keep it away from his face. He hummed happily as he made his way to the kitchen. He started some water for tea and set to work. 

Naruto had come back from traveling with Jiraiya only yesterday. He had made a point to stop in and see Iruka as soon as he could. Even before some of his friends. That had warmed Iruka through and he hadn’t been able to stop himself for inviting Naruto over. Logically, Iruka had known the boy would be impatient to see his friends but a small, selfish part of him wanted the boy all to himself. Just for a little while. 

Naruto had delighted him by coming over and telling his animated stories about his time away. Some were hair raising, some were eye rolling and others pricked Iruka’s temper fiercely. Thankfully, Naruto seemed mostly immune to Jiraiya’s flagrant misogyny and overall perverted behaviour. It helped alleviate the need Iruka felt to give the sannin a piece of his mind. It didn’t rid Iruka of the urge completely but enough that he didn’t go stomping off to holler himself hoarse at a man that could kill him five times over before breaking a sweat. 

Well, at the very least, Naruto had come home alive, he appeared to be well fed and just as energetic as ever. Iruka let himself be thankful for that. Iruka started to throw a feast together. By the time he heard the ruckus of Naruto waking, most of the food was on plates and sitting steaming on the table. 

Iruka put the grilled fish on the table last, just as Naruto sat down, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. 

“Oh wow, Iruka-sensei, this looks awesome!” Naruto declared in his mildest shout.

Iruka smiled. “Dig in.”

“Thanks for the food.” 

Naruto dug in with gusto, making happy eating noises all the while. Iruka hid his grin behind his cup of tea. 

Naruto had downed three helpings before he started to slow. He finally started to eat to taste that food rather than inhale it when he started talking. 

“So, Iruka-sensei, are you seeing anyone?” Naruto asked.

Iruka coughed violently. No matter how much he enjoyed it, tea wasn’t meant to replace air. 

“What brought that on?” Iruka wheezed. 

Naruto shrugged. He stuffed half a plate of eggs in his face and made some rather animated faces as he tried to chew. 

“You seem lonely,” Naruto said after what seemed like a rather painful swallow. Iruka could sympathize. His lungs hurt now. 

“You haven’t even been back for a full twenty-four hours. Isn’t that a little fast to be worried about my love life?” Iruka asked. 

“I dunno,” Naruto said. He had stopped eating and was picking at his bowl. He seemed sullen. “I just figured I might come home and you’d be married or something.”

Iruka set his chopsticks and bowl aside. Naruto had made friends, grown up and even found himself a mentor. But he was still a boy and Iruka couldn’t, wouldn’t forget that. Even long after Naruto probably wished he had.

“Naruto, look at me.” Iruka waited until Naruto held his gaze. “It doesn’t matter if I do end up with a lover or married, you’ll always be welcome here. Always.”

Naruto didn’t say anything but he did nod once. He slowly started eating again until he had made his way through two additional servings before he finally quit. He helped Iruka tidy up and pack two lunch boxes, grinning when Iruka handed him one. Iruka waved him away to change and finished the last of the washing up. 

It didn’t take long for Naruto to meet him at the front door. His clothes were rumpled. He had probably dropped them in a heap on the floor. Iruka tried not to sigh. Naruto hovered at his elbow as Iruka locked his apartment and set his traps. 

“Hey, Iruka-sensei, can I come by tonight too?” Naruto asked, a toe scraping the ground. He had mumbled the request and wasn’t looking in Iruka’s direction. 

“Of course. I’ll see you after my mission room shift,” Iruka said. Iruka made a shooing motion with his hand. “Now go see the rest of your friends. I need to get to work. And you should go check in with Kakashi-sensei too. I’m sure he’d like to see how you’ve progressed.”

“OK, Thanks Iruka-sensei. You’re the best! I’ll see you later,” Naruto said and bounced down the steps. He jogged a few blocks before turning around and waving enthusiastically. Iruka returned the wave with less flailing but just as much happiness. It felt a little like seeing the sun after weeks of rain. 

“Don’t forget to bring back the bento box!’ Iruka called. Naruto gave him a thumbs up and took off.

Iruka turned towards the Academy, a spring in his step and a plan for dinner already taking shape in his mind.


End file.
